Heavy fuel oil suction gas producer



Apnl 17, 1934- F. c. LACASSAGNE HEAVY FUEL OIL SUCTION GAS PRODUCER Filed Sept. 23, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NW RN April 1934- F. c. LACASSAGNE 1,955,242

HEAVY FUEL OIL SUCTION GAS PRODUCER;

Filed Sept. 23, 1932 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to a heavy fuel oil suction gas producer as an auxiliary for use with conventional gasoline internal combustion engines.

The device of the present invention is designed to be combined with a conventional internal combustion engine in such manner that, after the engine has been run for a short period of time on the conventional gasoline carburetor associated therewith, the supply of gasoline may be gradually diminished and finally cut off, and the supply of fuel oil to the suction gas producer gradually substituted therefor. The result is that, after the engine has become heated, it may be operated on the gas produced from a relatively cheap heavy fuel oil.

Devices supposed to accomplish this purpose have been designed in the past, but I am aware of none which has given entire satisfaction, and it is an object of the present invention to so design the several parts of the auxiliary fuel oil gas producer that they cooperate with each other and with certain conventional parts of an internal combustion engine to accomplish complete vaporization of the heavy fuel oil, and to result in entirely satisfactory operation.

It is an object of the invention to preliminarily heat the oil and air before they are mixed together.

It is a further object to preliminarily mix the heated oil and air under the influence of additional heat, and subsequently to heat the mixture to a high degree to accomplish complete vaporization of the oil.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a separator at the discharge end of the auxiliary gas producer adapted to extract and deliver to the intake manifold only the lighter and completely vaporized portions of the mixture of oil and air.

This application is a continuation in part of my prior application Serial No. 543,227, filed June 9, 1931 for an attachment for internal combustion gasoline engines.

The invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts cooperating with each other to produce the new result. A preferred embodiment of the structural elements of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and described below.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the gas producer of my invention and through the exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine, looking outwardly from the engine block.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a conventional internal combustion engine, showing the manner in which the device of my invention may be associated therewith.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the mixing chamber and associated parts of my invention.

Referring to Figure 2, a conventional internal combustion engine is shown comprising a cylinder block 5, exhaust manifold 6, intake manifold 7 and a gasoline carburetor 8. The exhaust gases from the manifold pass through a short coupling 9 to a cross shaped fitting 10, and outwardly therefrom through the exhaust pipe 11.

The fitting 10 is an integral part of the device of the present invention and its specific structure is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3. As stated, it is in the form of a cross, and has two pairs of diametrically opposed connecting bosses, each pair being disposed at right angles to the other. The short coupling 9 from the exhaust manifold is connected to one boss 12, and the ex haust discharge 11 is connected to an adjacent boss 13. An adjustable, automatic, springpressed, air inlet valve assembly, represented generally at 14, is mounted in the boss 15 opposite the exhaust discharge connection 13. An adjustable fuel oil supply assembly 16 is connected to the boss 1'7 which is disposed diametrically opposite the exhaust manifold con nection 12.

Disposed inside of the cross fitting 10, and spaced inwardly from the inner walls thereof, is a second cross fitting 18, which constitutes a preliminary mixing chamber for air and oil. This member has four connecting bosses aligned with corresponding connections of the first fitting. The inner member 18 is secured in spaced relation to the outer fitting by two short pipe sections 19 and 20. The section 19 is connected to the boss 15 adjacent the air supply valve assembly l4 and constitutes a conduit for air drawn into the interior of the mixing chamber 18. The connecting nipple 2D is secured in the boss 17 adjacent the fuel oil supply assembly and acts as a housing through which the fuel oil spray nozzle 21 projects into the mixing chamber.

The boss 22 of the mixing chamber 18 is adapted to be connected to a small drain pipe 23 extending into the exhaust pipe 11 and projecting through an elbow disposed therein. A petcock 24 controls the discharge of any liquid which may collect in the mixing chamber.

The fourth boss 25 associated with the inner fitting 18 disposed adjacent the manifold connection 9, is provided with a packing gland 26 which carries a vaporizing tube 27. This tube is an important feature of the present invention, and one of its ends 28 extends into the mixing chamber 18 in concentric relation to the fuel nozzle 21, and its other end extends the full length of, and completely through the exhaust manifold 6. This end is clamped to the manifold by a sleeve and nut connection 29, and carries the separator tube 30 described below.

Disposed within the blast tube, or vaporizing tube 27, is a spiral baiile 31.- This member is preferably formed from a metallic strip or ribbon twisted into spiral shape. It divides the tube into two spiral passages and causes gases flowing through the tube to move in a spiral path.

The fuel oil feeding device is somewhat similar to the means disclosed in my aforementioned pending application Serial No. 543,227. It includes a spring pressed check valve of the boll type disposed in the fuel line 36. Oil is drawn past this valve to a fuel head 37 and into the spray nozzle 21 after passing a needle valve 38. The needle valve controls the flow of fuel, and its position is adjustable by rotation of the threaded stem 38 secured to the lever 39 associated with quadrant 40. Thus, a fine adjust ment of the flow of fuel oil is provided.

The supply of air to the mixing chamber 18 through the connecting nipple 19 may be adjusted by the valve assembly 14. This assembly comprises a cap 40 provided with an imperforate plane circular top, a cylindrical body portion having an inlet perforation 40a, and a depending threaded portion 41 adapted to be secured into the boss 15 of the cross member 10. The cap carries integral therewith a centrally disposed sleeve 42 having ends projecting above and below the plane of the top of the cap. The sleeve receives a stem 43 of a valve 44 of the poppet type. This valve closes upon a valve seat 45 formed on the lower edge of the threaded portion 41 of the cap member.

Slidably mounted on the exterior surface of the upper end of the sleeve 42 is a collar 46 having a radial flange 47 adapted to function as a supporting base for a coiled compression spring 48. The upper end of this spring is disposed under a head 49 on the upper end of the valve stem. The spring constantly tends to urge the valve 44 upwardly to closed position on the seat 45. The tension of the spring 48 may be obviously varied by changing the position of the collar 47 vertically with respect to the sleeve 42 and valve stem 43. In order to accomplish this change of position, a lever 50 having a finger 51 projecting under the flange 47 is pivoted adjacent the valve assembly. By moving the hemdle 52 (Figure 1) the arm 50 may be raised and lowered, the collar may be correspondingly moved, and the tension of the spring 48 varied.

The check valve 35, needle valve 38 and air valve 44 cooperate in a novel manner and function in a manner similar to an injector pump. When the piston of the engine starts on its suction stroke, a partial vacuum is created in the entire system of this invention. The vacuum increases as the piston descends, and when it approaches the lowermost point of its stroke, the vacuum moves the valve 44 from its seat, thus admitting an amount of air sufficient to break the vacuum. The point at which the valve 44 will be moved from its seat by the vacuum is determined by the tension placed upon spring 48 by lever 52. When the air is admitted, and the vacuum broken, the injection of oil will cease in proper timed relation with the stroke of the piston, at a point where the injection will give the best result. The valve 44 is not in the system to supply air for combustion and although the air admitted thereby assists in the vaporization of the oil, its primary function is to terminate the flow of fuel through the nozzle 21 and to drive the previously sprayed oil through the tube. The lift of this valve is usually in the neighborhood of 1/64th to 1/32 of an inch. Air for combustion is taken from the gasoline carburetor inlet, which is part of the usual gasoline engine equipment. The proportion of air taken at the latter point also controls the speed of the engine.

Considering now the structure of the separator tube of my invention, it will be seen, from an inspection of Figure 1, that the vaporizing tube 2'7 is provided with an end 28a which projects outwardly beyond one end of the exhaust manifold. This end of the tube is blocked by a plug 55 provided with a pipe connection 56 carrying a conduit 57 which leads to the intake manifold 7 to conduct the completely gasified oil thereto. The inner end of the plug 55 is fitted with a tube 30 of relatively small diameter extending a substantial distance into the vaporizing tube 27, in concentric relation thereto.

In operation the engine is first run on gasoline vapors supplied thereto by the conventional carburetor 8 until it has become thoroughly warmed up. The supply of gasoline is then gradually cut off, and the heavy oil fuel valve 38 partially opened. As the parts become thoroughly heated, the valves 38 and 44 are adjusted to the proper degree and the supply of gasoline to the carburetor 8 is entirely out oif.

When the engine is operated on fuel oil alone, each suction stroke of each cylinder serves to draw a charge of oil past the check valve 35 and through the nozzle 21, where it is sprayed into the end 28 of tube 27. Near the end of each suction stroke, and when the degree of vacuum is relatively high, valve 44 opens, and admits a small charge of air, thus relieving or breaking the vacuum and consequently terminating the flow of oil through nozzle 21. The charge of air rushes through blast tube 2'? because of the piston suction, and drives with it the previously sprayed oil. During its passage through tube 27, the oil is completely gasified and is conveyed, in the form of a hot gas mixed with a small amount of hot air, through tube 5'7 to the intake manifold of the engine, where an additional supply of air is added to form a combustible mixture. The spiral baffle 31 causes the mixture to assume a rapid swirling movement as it passes through the tube and this movement sets up in the mixture a high degree of centrifugal force with the result that all heavy unvaporized particles of liquid fuel and all heavy gases are thrown outwardly into contact with the interior surface of the tube 27. The highly heated condition of this tube immediately vaporizes any liquid fuel thrown into contact therewith and expands any heavy, less volatile gases, with the result that by the time the mixture reaches the discharge end of the tube, substantially all of the particles of liquid fuel have been vaporized.

The separator tube 30, extending axially into the discharge end of the vaporizing tube, is disposed to extract only that portion of the mixture which is located centrally of the tube. As stated above, all heavy particles of liquid fuel and relatively heavy gases are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force, and consequently they will be out of position to enter the tube 30. Such particles will be received in the annular space 59 and will remain there until vaporized by heat derived from the tube surface.

To summarize the method of operation of the present gas producer, it will be noted that prelirninarily heated heavy fuel oil is drawn through a nozzle by a vacuum, into a highly heated tube. Thevacuum is broken by the subsequent admission of a relatively small body of air behind the spray of fuel. This body of air relieves the vac uum sufliciently to stop the flow of fuel through the nozzle and drives the previously sprayed oil through the tube with tremendous rapidity. In the tube the fuel is gasified; first, because of the partial vacuum; second, because of the presence of the small body of air; third, because of the high degree of heat in the tube; and fourth, because of the agitation or swirling action imparted to it during its travel through the tube. This cycle of operation is intermittent, or pulsating, and occurs once for each suction stroke of the piston. The gasified fuel, mixed with a small amount of air, is not a combustible mixture when it leaves the vaporizing tube, but must be mixed with additional air which is admitted through the conventional carburetor, before it will sustain operation of the engine. Valve 44 admits only enough air to break the vacuum in the system and stop the flow of oil past valve 35 and through nozzle 21. This air then acts as a vehicle coming in behind the oil, and driving it through the tube.

It is a well known fact that exhaust manifolds of internal combustion engines are heated to a higher degree progressively from the front end to the rear or discharge end thereof. The front end of a manifold receives only the exhaust from one cylinder, whereas the discharge end thereof receives the exhaust gases from all of the many cylinders of the engine. I have taken advantage of this situation by disposing my preliminary mixing and heating chamber in the hottest part of the exhaust system, and by extending my vaporizing tube forwardly toward the point of lower heat. Thus, the relatively cold oil and air mixture is rapidly raised in temperature by initial contact under the influence of extremely high heat. The vaporizing tube extends lengthwise through the manifold and discharges adjacent the cooler end thereof.

The exhaust manifold 6, as stated above, may be provided with a water jacket 6a, and this is the conventional practice in many types of installations, such as in marine use and the like. In any event, the exhaust manifold will expand differently from the vaporizing tube 27 under the influence of exhaust heat, because the tube is preferably formed of relatively thin steel tubing, and the exhaust manifold is made from a heavy casting. In view of the fact that the tube 27 is fixedly secured to the exhaust manifold at one of its ends, means must be provided to permit relative expansion between the manifold and tube at their other point of connection. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the packing gland 26 performs this function. This gland provides a fluid tight joint between the tube and its supporting element, namely mixing chamber 18, but is non-rigid to permit axial movement of the tube to compensate differential expansion.

Although I have stated that the tube 2'7 is preferably made of thin steel tubing, any other material having sufficient strength to withstand the hot exhaustblast, and having good heat conducting properties, and being relatively thin walled will suffice.

.The'present invention is not limited to the specific details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, but includes all modifification V falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Means for effecting a vaporization of heavy fuel oil and a mixing thereof with air, comprising the combination with an exhaust manifold of the conventional internal combustion engine adapted to be heated by exhaust gases in progressively varying degree from end to end, of a preliminary mixing chamber adjacent the more highly heated end of said exhaust manifold, a heating conduit for the preliminarily mixed gas and oil extending lengthwise from end to end and through said manifold to discharge toward the end thereof heated to a lower degree, baflie means in said heating conduit for causing intimate contact between the mixture of gas and oil and the wall of said conduit, and a delivery conduit from the discharge end of said heating conduit adapted to convey a mixture of vaporized fuel and air to the intake manifold of said engine.

2. An auxiliary heavy fuel oil gas producer for gasoline internal combustion engines, comprising a mixing chamber adapted to effect a mechanical mixing of oil and air, an elongated vaporizing tube "having one end connected to said mixing chamber and an elongated body extending into the exhaust manifold of said engine and being disposed to have its walls heated by exhaust gases, means connected to said tube to draw said mixture therethrough and to conduct said mixture to the intake manifold of said engine, means disposed in said tube to impart a spiral movement to said mixture passing therethrough, whereby centrifugal force set up in said mixture causes relatively heavy unvaporized portions of said mixture to move radially toward the walls of said tube, and an outlet separating tube having its mouth centrally disposed with respect to said vapor- 120 izing tube to extract and deliver only relatively light portions of said mixture from a central portion of said vaporizing tube.

. 3. An auxiliary heavy fuel oil gas producer for use with a gasoline internal combustion engine, 125 comprising means for introducing a preliminary mixture of oil and air to a highly heated vaporizing chamber, means in said chamber to impart a spiral movement to said mixture passing therethrough to set up centrifugal forces therein, a 130 separator adjacent the discharge end of said chamber, and means for conducting said mixture from said separator to the intake manifold of said engine, said separator comprising a tube of substantially reduced diameter extending axially 5 into the discharge end of said vaporizing chamber and having its outer periphery spaced radially inwardly from the wall of said chamber to provide a space therebetween for the reception of heavy particles of fuel oil centrifugally forced fiuid and air mixing and vaporizing means, said means comprising a mixing chamber casing disposed interiorly of said exhaust discharge conduit and rigidly connected to said exhaust manifold adjacent the discharge end thereof, a vaporizing tube having a connection with said mixing chamber casing and extending through said exhaust manifold to the end thereof remote from said discharge end, said vaporizing tube being extended through the wall of said exhaust manifold at said remote end and being rigidly connected therewith, said connection of said vaporizing tube and said mixing chamber casing being substantially fluid-tight but non-rigid to permit axial movement of said vaporizing tube therein to compensate differential expansion of said manifold and said tube under the influence of exhaust heat.

5. Means for effecting vaporization of heavy fuel oil, and the mixing thereof with air for introduction to the intake manifold of a gasoline internal combustion engine, comprising a crossshaped fitting adjacent the discharge end of the exhaust manifold of said engine and through -which exhaust gases from said engine flow, said fitting comprising two pairs of diametrically opposed connecting bosses having their axes disposed at right angles, a fitting comprising a mixing chamber casing located within and spaced from said first mentioned fitting and having at least three connecting nipples axially aligned with said bosses, two adjacent bosses of said first mentioned fitting being connected respectively to said exhaust manifold and to an exhaust discharge pipe, said boss disposed opposite said -interiorly thereof and being connected to said mixing chamber casing on said aligned nipples to conduct said oil and air to said mixing chamber casing for preliminary mixing therein, the said nipple of said mixing chamber casing aligned with said manifold connection of said first mentioned fitting being connected to a vaporizing tube extending from said chamber into and through said manifold to the intake manifold of said engine, whereby oil and air are preliminarily mixed and heated in said mixing chamber and subsequently further heated and vaporized in said vaporizing tube.

6. An auxiliary heavy fuel oil gas producer for use with a gasoline internal combustion engine,

.comprising a casing attached to the discharge end of the exhaust manifold of said engine, a second casing within said first mentioned casing, means to admit in succession a charge of oil and immediately thereafter a charge of air to said inner casing to effect a preliminary mixing of said charges under the influence of exhaust heat in said first mentioned casing, a vaporizing chamber communicating with said inner casing, and through which said charge of oil is driven by the subsequently admitted charge of air, said vaporizing chamber extending into and through said exhaust manifold and being adapted to effect a further mixing and vaporization of said oil and air under the influence of exhaust heat in said manifold, an outlet from said vaporizing chamber through a wall of said exhaust manifold remote from said discharge end, and a conduit from said outlet to the intake manifold of said engine.

'7. A, fuel oil gas producer for attachment 'to the exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing attached to the discharge end of said manifold, an inner casing within said first casing and positioned to be externally heated by exhaust gases from said manifold, an elongated tube communicating with said inner casing and extending into and through said manifold and being connected to the intake manifold of said engine, separate fuel oil and air inlet means for said inner casing, and valve means normally closing said air inlet means but being opened by a predetermined degree of partial vacuum created in said inner casing by the intake suction stroke of a piston in said engine, the air admitted upon the opening of said valve serving to break said partial vacuum and to drive previously admitted oil through said elongated tube to gasify the same.

8. A fuel oil gas producer for use with an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing attached to the discharge end of the exhaust manifold thereof, an inner casing within said first casing and positioned to be externally heated by exhaust gases, an elongated tube communicating with said inner casing and extending through the end of said manifold opposite said discharge end, and a conduit establishing communication from said tube to the intake manifold of said engine, separate fuel oil and air inlet means for said inner casing, control means in said fuel oil inlet means adapted to pass a predetermined amount of oil upon the creation in said inner casing of a relatively low degree of suction, and valve means normally closing said air inlet means but being opened by a predetermined relatively high degree of suction in said inner casing, the air admitted upon the opening of said valve serving to relieve said suction to terminate the flow of oil through said oil inlet means, and to drive previously admitted oil through said elongated tube to gasify the same.

9. A fuel oil gasifying attachment for use with an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing adapted to be externally heated by exhaust gases, a tube communicating at one end with said casing and extending into the exhaust manifold of the engine and communicating at the other end with the intake manifold thereof, whereby each suction stroke of a piston in said engine creates a partial vacuum of increasing degree in said tube and said casing, separate oil and air inlet means for said casing, said oil inlet means being adapted to pass a limited amount of oil to said tube under the influence of a relatively slight partial vacuum in said chamber, valve means in said air inlet arranged to open and pass air therethrough under the influence of a relatively greater partial vacuum in said chamber, whereby each suction stroke of a cylinder in said engine causes first a discharge of oil into said tube and then a discharge of air to relieve the partial vacuum, terminate the flow of oil, and drive the previously discharged oil through the tube to vaporize the same, said vaporized oil being mixed with additional air in said intake manifold to form a combustible mixture.

10. A fuel oil gasifying attachment for use with an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing adapted to be externally heated by exhaust gases, a tube communicating at one end with said casing and extending into the exhaust manifold of the engine and communicating at the other end with the intake manifold thereof, whereby each suction stroke of a piston in said engine creates a partial vacuum of increasing degree in said tube and said casing, separate oil and air inlet means for said casing, adjustable valve means in said oil l inlet arranged to pass a predetermined and variable amount of oil to said tube under the influence of a relatively slight partial vacuum in said chamber, valve means in said air inlet arranged to open and pass air therethrough under the influence of a relatively greater partial vacuum in said chamber, whereby each suction stroke of a cylinder in said engine causes first a discharge of oil into said tube and then a discharge of air to relieve the partial vacuum, terminate the flow of oil, and drive the previously discharged oil through the tube to vaporize the same, said vaporized oil being mixed with additional air in said intake manifold to form a combustible mixture.

11. A fuel oil gasifying attachment for use with an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing adapted to be externally heated by exhaust gases, a tube communicating at one end with said casing and extending into the exhaust manifold of the engine and communicating at the other end with the intake manifold thereof, whereby each suction stroke of a piston in said engine creates a partial vacuum of increasing degree in said tube and said casing, separate oil and air inlet means for said casing, said oil inlet means being adapted to pass a limited amount of oil to said tube under the influence of a relatively slight partial vacuum in said chamber, adjustable, pressure responsive Valve means arranged to open and pass air through said inlet means under the influence of a relatively greater partial vacuum in said chamber, whereby each suction stroke of a cylinder in said engine causes first a discharge of oil into said tube and then a discharge of air to relieve the partial vacuum, terminate the flow of oil, and drive the previously discharged oil through the tube to vaporize the same, the adjustment of said valve means serving to control the period when said partial vacuum is relieved and the flow of oil terminated, thereby controlling the amount of oil discharged upon each suction stroke of a piston in said engme.

12. An auxiliary, heavy fuel oil carburetor for use with an internal combustion engine, said carburetor comprising a tubular vaporizing chamber arranged to be externally heated by the exhaust from the engine and having an outlet 

